Water saving guide 1 · 2019-08-30 · Water saving guide 3 By making small changes around your home, you can help save water and make a big difference to your family, your local

Water saving guide 1

Water saving guide2

A small change can make a big difference. That’s why we’re working hard to save water by reducing the amount we use.


By making small changes around your home, you can help save water and make a big difference to your family, your local community, the environment and even your pocket too.

Why we need to save water

Although Britain seems to have its fair share of rain, some areas actually have less water available per person than Spain or Australia. With the prospect of significant changes to our weather patterns such as longer, hotter and drier summers, everyone needs to do what they can to protect our natural environment for future generations.

This guide is packed with tips on how you can make a big difference by making a small change to how you use water.

What we’re doing to save waterWe’re doing everything we can to save water. There’s lots of information about how we’re trying to save water on our website.

Go to stwater.co.uk to find out more.

Finding, fixing and preventing leaksWe’re saving water by replacing old or damaged pipes, using better ways to spot leaks and repairing them faster.

But we still need your help. If you spot a leak, give us a call straight away on 0800 783 4444 or go to stwater.co.uk/reportaleak to let us know about it.

Fitting water meters for freeFitting water meters is an important part of our plan to help manage the demand for water. We believe it’s a fairer way for customers to pay as they only pay for the water they use.

Find out how you could benefit from having a water meter fitted on page 13.

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Providing education and adviceOur education team visits primary and secondary schools, colleges, universities and adult community groups. They offer interactive presentations, fun group activities and workshops all focused on saving water - and it’s all free.

Find out more at stwater.co.uk/workshops

Offering free water saving productsOur free water saving products are the easiest way to help you save water. Order a full kit or individual items, including:

• ShowerSave flow regulator• Shower timer• Save-a-flush or Hippo bag• Toilet dye tablets

For more information see page 11.

5Water saving guide

Keep reading for great tips on how you can help save water

Saving water in the bathroomTake a short shower instead of a bathOne bath can use over 80 litres of water, compared to an efficient shower using under 50 litres. By heating less water, you could save on your energy bills too. But remember, power showers can use even more water than a bath.

Toilet dye tabletsIt’s not always easy to spot a leaking toilet which could be wasting hundreds of litres of water a day. These tablets make it easy for you to find any leaks.

Fit a toilet ‘save-a-flush’If you have an older single flush toilet, you could save up to 12 litres of water every day by putting one of these bags in your cistern.

And remember, only toilet paper and human waste should be flushed down the loo!

Turn off the tapsBy turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, washing your hands or shaving, you can save over 5 litres of water every minute. Over a year, that’s a saving of around 4,000 litres.

Why not challenge yourself and your family to shower one minute quicker?

In a year you could save up to 10,000 litres of water.

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Saving water in the kitchenUse a bowl for washing dishes and vegetablesA kitchen tap can use up to 20 litres of water every minute so use a bowl when washing and preparing your vegetables, or doing the washing up. You can use the leftover water to water plants or rinse out your cans and glass jars ready for recycling.

Fill your dishwasherMost modern dishwashers can use less water than washing up by hand, but make sure it’s full before you start it.

Repair dripping tapsA dripping tap can waste up to 5,000 litres of water every year. Fixing a dripping tap is usually as simple as replacing a tap washer – so do it today!

Our free water saving products can help you save water.

Go to page 11 to find out how to order.

Saving water in the gardenCollect rain waterWater butts are great for collecting rain water. A large water butt should be able to provide you with all of the water your garden needs if you use it carefully. You could also use the water to wash your car.

Direct waterSave plastic water and soft drinks bottles, cut off the bases and bury them upside-down next to newly planted trees and shrubs. They’ll act as funnels and direct water straight to the roots.

You could also place plants in a saucer-shaped dip of soil so the water pools around them.

Use watering cansWater your garden with a watering can rather than a hosepipe or sprinkler, giving priority to new plants and those in pots. To reduce water evaporation, water your plants early in the morning or early evening.

Don’t worry about your lawnEven when lawns look dry and brown, they’ll soon spring back to life after a rain shower, so there’s no need to water them. If the weather is dry and warm try not to cut your grass too short, this will help it to retain moisture and keep it greener for longer. And if you are planting a new lawn, consider one of the more drought tolerant varieties such as Xeris.

Look after your soilUse a mulch - a layer of material such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost placed on the surface of the soil - to help to stop weeds from flourishing, prevent water evaporation from the soil and improve its condition.

Pick the right plantsUse plants that need less watering - those with the full sun on the label in the garden centre or check out a list of drought-tolerant plants on the Royal Horticultural Society website rhs.org.uk

Encourage your plants to develop deep root systems by watering them less frequently. Plants watered regularly will have shallow roots, because they do not need to delve deep into the soil in search for water.

8 Water saving guide


Check out our special offers on water butts. Turn over for more information.

Buy water saving products...

Water buttsUsing a water butt in your garden is a great way to save water. By using water that would usually go down the drain, a large water butt could provide all of the water your garden needs.

We offer a range of styles and sizes, as well as a variety of handy accessories so you can get the most out of water butt.

Look out for the special multi-buy offers where you can buy one, get one half price.

Shower headsTake a relaxing shower with one of our water efficient shower heads and you’ll be using less water than a conventional shower head, without losing any of the pressure. And by heating less water, you’ll also be saving on your energy bills.

Plus, all of our showerheads are cheaper than the high street and come with a free shower timer.

Don’t forget, there’s free delivery on all orders.

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... or pick up a FREE water saving kitShowerSaveThe ShowerSave regulator lowers the flow rate of your shower without reducing the pressure, so you can save water and energy. Simply attach the regulator to the hose near the outlet and you’re ready to go.

Toilet Leak Detection TabletsModern push-button toilets can often leak and it’s not always easy to spot, as water flows down the back of the pan. Save money and save water by detecting silent leaks with these dye tablets.

Simply put the tablets into the toilet cistern and in a few moments you’ll know if your cisterns leaking into the toilet bowl. There’s no mess and the dye will disappear in a few flushes.

Save-a-flush or Hippo bagThese bags are easy to install and are a proven to help save water every time you flush. Just place the bag in the toilet cistern and you’ll be saving over one litre with each flush.

Shower timerTake the shower challenge with this four-minute shower timer. This timer is suitable for virtually every shower as it sticks to the wall or screen of your shower with its suction pad.

Take advantage of our special offers or order your FREE water saving products at stwater.co.uk/savewater

11Water saving guide

Are you water wise?Take our quick quiz to find out how water wise you are.

Question 1When bathing do you:a. Always take a shower

b. Always take a bath

c. Sometimes a shower and sometimes a bath

Question 3Does your toilet have:a. A dual flush or a single button flush

b. A traditional flush handle/chain

c. A traditional flush handle/chain with a save-a-flush bag installed

Question 4When you brush your teeth do you:a. Always turn the tap off

b. Always leave the tap running

c. Sometimes turn it off

Question 5When watering your garden do you:a. Use water from a water butt

b. Use a hose or sprinkler

c. Use a watering can filled from the tap

Question 2If you take a shower:a. Do you spend less than 5 minutes

showering

b. Do you spend longer than 5 minutes

c. Don’t know how long you spend

ResultsMostly ‘a’sYou’re water wise! You’re already saving water and helping the environment.

Mostly ‘b’sFollow our top water saving tips to help you get water wise.

Mostly ‘c’sYou’re on your way to being water wise. Follow our top water saving tips to help you save even more.


Only pay for the water you useHave a water meter fitted – it’s free!


If you don’t use lots of water, installing a free water meter could save you money.

If you’ve got a small household, use water efficient appliances or work hard to save water, you could benefit from having a meter fitted.

A lot of people find that they make a real effort to use less water once they’ve had a meter fitted, which benefits your pocket and the environment. Using less hot water means less water needs to be heated, so you will save on your energy bills too.

To find out if you could save with a water meter, go to stwater.co.uk/meters

Can’t pay your bill?It’s a worry when you can’t pay your bills. But we’re able to help and ease the stress by offering you a number of ways to get back on track.Payment plansPay a little off each week, fortnight, or month – whether that’s through Direct Debit or using a water card at local Pay Point outlets.

Water DirectIf you’re on certain benefits you can arrange to have small deductions paid directly from your benefit.

Severn Trent Trust FundThe Severn Trent Trust Fund can help you out if you’re in extreme financial difficulty.

Call us today on 0345 604 3772 to find out how we can help.

Free water meterWith a meter you just pay for the amount of water you use. This is great for small households or for those who generally only use a small amount of water.

WaterSureThis is a special tariff with a capped charge and can help if you have a high water use because of a medical condition, you have a water meter and a low income.


We also need your help to stop sewer blockagesWe clear over 55,000 sewer blockages every year, and a whopping 75% of them are caused by the wrong items being put down the sink or toilet.We’re always investing to clean and improve the sewerage network but we need you to do your bit too. Many blockages can be avoided by being careful about what you pour down your sink and try to flush away in your toilet.

Don’t pour fats, oils and greases down the sink or the toilet – even the tiniest amount causes problems. As soon as they hit the cold walls of the sewer they solidify and build up.

Only human waste, toilet tissue and a small amount of household cleaning products should be flushed down the toilet – never flush nappies, baby or facial wipes, sanitary towels or tampons as they can block the sewer.

Find out more and order a free disposable fat trap at stwater.co.uk/fattrap


Severn Trent Water LtdPO Box 5309Coventry CV3 9FHwww.stwater.co.uk

Calls to 0800 numbers are free from UK landlines. Calls to 0345 numbers are charged at a local rate and when phoning from a mobile, may be included in your free minutes package. ST.SD.000027.C

This publication is available in alternative formats, including large print and Braille.

For more information:

Call 0345 7 500 500Textphone 0800 328 [email protected]

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Water saving guide 1 · 2019-08-30 · Water saving guide 3 By making small changes around your home, you can help save water and make a big difference to your family, your local